The present invention generally relates to a system for allowing the initiation of a notification campaign directed to a telecommunications system, wherein a variety of different campaigns are initiated through a universal interface offering access to a variety of telecommunications systems. With the advent of automated telephonic message delivery, certain public safety agencies, such as police departments and fire departments, seek to deliver mass messages to citizenry at risk during emergency situations.
On many occasions, a variety of agencies, whether governmental, quasi-governmental, public utilities, or private companies, have the need to deliver messages through telecommunications systems. For instance, a governmental agency may wish to notify certain households of the threat of a natural disaster, such as a wildfire or a hurricane. The agency may initiate a crisis notification system that delivers either a telephone message or records a telephone message on the answering machine of households that are at risk. Similarly, citizens may provide their cellular telephone contact information, for instance, and request the delivery of a text message or email.
Continuing problems in the delivery of mass notification messages are the variety of telecommunications platforms utilized by the population within a given area, language barriers, and differences between closely associated groups in the relative danger presented. These deficiencies all lead to a limited ability to deliver relevant emergency messages in a timely manner. In addition, the emergency itself and or the number of contacts to be initiated may result in over utilization of available telecommunications capacity.
Other continuing problems with effectively initiating and delivering mass emergency notifications is the unwieldy nature of successfully completing the steps necessary to set up a telecommunications campaign with short notice, and during periods of stress for the agent initiating the campaign. In many cases the agent responsible will be relatively inexperienced in initiating emergency notifications, and learning the use of an unfamiliar system during periods of stress or emergency may limit the effectiveness in initiating a notification campaign. In emergency notification situations, successful delivery of messages is critical, as delivery failures during crises that may lead to unnecessary property damage, injury or even death.
Existing systems for mass message emergency notification do not provide for geographic selection of target contacts. An example of an existing system with such limitations is disclosed in U.S. Publication No. US 2009/0100509 A1.
There exists an acute need for a system and method that would allow various agencies to rapidly initiate emergency notifications for populations with diverse telecommunications connections, diverse individual characteristics, and in a variety of geographic regimes. The successful delivery of emergency notification can be enhanced by providing the initiating agent with a variety of intuitive tools to increase the probability that messages are successfully delivered. If a system for providing rapidly initiated and effectively targeted emergency notifications were available, the safety of the general public could be more efficiently provided.